Relay unit



July 23, 1957 A, DURANT ETAL RELAY UNIT Filed July 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l V EN TORS A yn/po/v 4 z /eqn/r a d mec/A/E Ph/muemm July 23, 1957 1.. A. DURANT ETAL RELAY UNIT 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed July 9, 1954 S m m m m nited States Patent RELAY UNIT Lyndon A. Durant and Marcine P. Wolverton, Chicago, 11L, assignors to General Patent-Corporation, Chicago, 11],, a corporation of Illinois Application July 9, 1954, Serial No. 442,334

1 Claim. (Cl. 200-98) This invention relates to certain new-and useful improvements in a relay unit, and has for an object the provision of an improved construction of this. character which will be highly efiicient in use and economical in manufacture.

Another and equally important object of the invention is; to provide a relay unit which comprises parallelly related-arms each carrying a wiper plate for movement over the face of an insulating plate having thereon a printed circuit and in which the arms may be operated independently ofeach other or simultaneously, for independently moving the wiper plates over the face of theinsulating plate.

Another important object of the invention resides in the novel and economical manner of assembling each of the arms of the relay unit upon a common support of conductive material and which support may be utilized as a ground,

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of the novel arrangement for associating each wiper plate with its respective arm, resulting; in a substantial pressure of the wiper plate against the face of the insulating plate and yet requiring but a minimum of energy for its operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a relay unit of the class hereinafter described an arrangement whereby the wiper plate operating arms are interengageable in that the operation of one arm may effect the operation of its companion arm in one movement of operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of several relayunits arranged in gang form and each embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the several parts constituting my improved relay unit, showing the parts in exploded relation with respect to each other.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings illustrating the preferred form of construction of our invention and by which the several objects of the same are accomplished, a mounting plate is indicated at 10. This mounting plate has attached to the underside thereof an insulating plate 11. This insulating plate 11 and the mounting plate as a unit are connected to an insulating plate 12.which extends substantially at right angles with respect to the mounting plate 10 and on which is provided what is known in the electrical art as a painted circuit 13. On the insulating plate 12 are suitable tails 12' in contact with the painted circuit as at 13', and to these tails 12electric circuit wires are adapted to be attached.

It is on the plate10that our improved relay unit is mounted. While I have shown in Fig. l a gang of such units, it is to be understood that each unit is of a like construction and that the description to follow of one unit is equally applicableto the other.

In this connection, each relay unit comprises four coils 14, 15, .16 and 17 arranged in parallel relation with respect to each other and mounted on and fixedly secured in a suitable manner to the plate 10 and insulated therefrom by insulating plates 18.

The coils arearranged in pairs on opposite sides of a central bar 20 mounted on and fixedly secured to the plate 10 in any suitable manner and extending substantially at right angles with respect thereto. The bar 20 has lugs 20" which are projected into slots 21 formed in the plate 10 with their ends swaged upon the plate to effect a rigid connection between the plate 10 and the bar 20.

This bar 20 has adjacent slots 21 formed in one edge portion thereof. Projecting into each slot in an upward direction is a stud 22 upon which is adapted to be mounted a spring 23,; The opposite vertical edges of each slot 21 provide inwardly stepped portions 24. Each stepped portion 24 provides a shoulder 25 spaced from its opposite confronting shoulder a distance less than the width of the slot 21 for reasons hereinafter set forth.

Each relay unit includes a pair of related arms 26 and 27. Each of such arms intermediate its opposite end portions is reduced to provide a latch portion 28 joined to the adjacent portion of the arm by a neck portion 29 of a width less. than the width of the latch portion 28. Projecting from one end of each of the arms 26 and 27 is a finger 30 0f a width less than the width of its respective arm and extending in a generally longitudinal direction of such arm. A wiper plate 31 is adapted to be slidably supported by the finger 30.

This is accomplished by forming in the wiper plate 31 intermediate its opposite end portions an opening 32 through which the finger 30 projects. By this arrangement, the wiper plate 31 extends at right angles from opposite sides of the arm to which it is associated. The ends of the wiper plate have secured thereto contact points 33. Disposed between the wiper plate 31 and suitable shoulders 34 provided by its supporting arm, is an expansion spring 35 which projects the wiper plate 31 in an outward direction with respect to the finger 30. This outward projection of the wiper plate 31 is limited by a stop 36 struck from the end of the finger 30.

Under the action of this spring 35 the wiper plate 33 is yieldably held against the adjacent surface 37 of the circuit bearing plate 12 for contact with the printed circuit 13 thereof. In the plate 12 are provided rectangularly shaped openings 38 through which the fingers 30 of the arms 27 and 26 are adapted to be projected. it will be noted thus far that the construction of each of the arms 26 and 27 is substantially the same. The only difference in construction between these arms is found in the fact that the arm 26 is provided with lateral extension 39, which is disposed over the plane of movement of the arm 27 for reasons which will be hereinafter understood.

The ends 40 of the coils are preferably connected to tails 41 carried by the insulating plate 11 and to which tails circuit wires are adapted to be connected by solder or otherwise. The insulating plate 11 provides openings 11 into which the grommets 41' of the tails are fixedly secured. This plate 11 also has enlarged openings 15 through which the connecting elements 16' of the coils are exposed to facilitate expeditious connection of the coils to the mounting plate 10.

One of the novel features of this invention resides in the simple manner in which the arms of the relay unit are attached to the center bar 20. To mount each arm on the bar 20 the neck 29 thereof is passed downwardly between the stepped portions 24 of the slot 21 into a position below such stepped portions where, upon a longitudinal movement of the arm in one direction, the latch portion 28 will be disposed beneath the shoulders 25, against which shoulders 25 the bar 20 is yieldably retained by expansion spring 23 embracing the stud 22. By this construction, while the bar is yieldably held against the shoulders 25, its freedom of rocking movement relative to the bar 20 is not restrained. To remove the arm 26 or 27 from the relay unit, all that is necessary to do is to move the arm longitudinally in a forward direction as viewed in Fig. 1, to position the neck 29 between the stepped portions 24 whereupon the arm may be removed with its wiper plate from mounted position upon the bar 20. By this construction, the minimum of energy is required for the operation of the arms 26 and 27.

Many combinations of uses may be obtained by the use of our improved relay unit. In the use of a relay unit constructed in accordance with the foregoing description, arm 26 or arm 27 may be actuated independently of each other or simultaneously. By the employment of the overhanging extension 39, when the arm 27 is actuated to move its wiper plate upwardly as viewed in Fig. 1, the actuation of such arm for this purpose will simultaneously rock the arm 26 and move the wiper plate thereof in unison with the Wiper plate of the arm 27 over the face of the insulating plate 12.

While we have indicated that the bar 20 may serve as a ground, it is obvious that this bar 20 may be of insulating material, when conditions require, in which case the insulating plate 12 will provide the two sides of an electric circuit for engagement by the wiper plates.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, there- 2,soo,552

. 4 fore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A relay unit comprising a pair of coils, a mounting bar positioned between said coils, said mounting bar having a slot formed therein opening from one edge portion thereof and provided with oppositely disposed shoulders at the entrance of the slot, an elongated actuating arm having adjacent reduced portions intermediate its opposite end portions and of different widths, the width of one of said portions being less than the distance between said shoulders to permit passage of said portion into said slot, the width of the other of said portions being of a width suflicient for said other portion to have bearing engagement against said shoulders, spring means carried by said bar and engaging'said arm to bear said arm against said shoulders,a stud provided by said bar for supporting said spring means, a circuit wiper contact mounted on said extension, fixed contacts adjacent said wiper contact and engageable by the latter, means on said extension to prevent displacement of said wiper contact therefrom, and a spring member mounted on said extension between said end of the arm and said circuit wiper contact to bias the wiper contact against said fixed contacts and to bias the actuating arm oppositely to seat said second, lesser reduced portion of the actuating arm against said shoulders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,094 Wilms et a1. Sept. 1, 1936 1,393,701 Sanchez Oct. 11, 1921 1,669,564 Jones May 15, 1928 1,692,604 Whittingham Nov. 20, 1928 2,064,631 Schmitt Dec. 15, 1936 2,267,427 Schmid Dec. 23, 1941 2,407,418 Hanff Sept. 10, 1946 2,413,135 Baumgardner Dec. 24, 1946 2,431,025 Buell Nov. 18, 1947 2,462,894 Price Mar. 1, 1949 arc- :4. 

